(WXYZ) — The North American International Show Show and Charity Preview were annual events for decades in Downtown Detroit, but it all came to halt with the pandemic, just as the auto show was moving to summer.
It brought a $450 million impact to the area, and this weekend, the parking brake is being released and the Motor City Car Crawl is rolling into town.
The Detroit Auto Dealers Association and Downtown Detroit Partnership created a free, walkable event over four days in six Detroit parks with some of the hottest new vehicles as a backdrop.
"We need to find safe and inviting ways to come back together and to revisit those bonds that we've sort of lost over the last 16 months," Eric Larson, the CEO of the Downtown Detroit Partnership, said. "That's what this show really represents. It's a returning of a lot, not only a great tradition, little bit different than the Auto Show."
You’ll see the latest vehicles on display along with interactive family fun, auto-related elements, food and live music
Grammy-nominated artist Lucky Daye performs Friday night in Beacon Park, and then on Saturday, Sheryl Crow is performing as part of a ticketed charity event at Campus Martius, an outdoor version of the former Charity Preview.
"It's a chance to raise money for the charities and people can come down have food entertainment," Rod Alberts with the DADA said. "There will be a DJ here, Park restaurants going to be serving incredible food."
It’s a small glimpse into what the outdoor portion of the new fall version of the auto show in 2022 could feel like.
"It’ll allow us to test some things and make sure that when we come back next year, we're even stronger and more exciting," Alberts added. We want to make this come back and then build it on this next year.
The different parks and cars at each park are:
Campus Martius - Racing
Cadillac Square - Trucks & SUVs
Beacon Park - Electric Vehicles
Grand Circus - Off Road Vehicles (Bronco & Jeep etc )
Capitol Park - Luxury Vehicles
Spirit Plaza - Performance Vehicles
Dates & Hours:
- Thursday, August 5, noon-9:00 p.m.
- Friday, August 6, noon-10:00 p.m.
- Saturday, August 7, noon-10:00 p.m.
- Sunday, August 8, noon-5:00 p.m.
